CDMX Branding Elevates Tourism For Mexico City

Strategic Brand Marketing Campaign Continues to Drive Media Accolades, Increase Tourism Arrivals and Generate Coverage of the Destination as a Leading Global City

MEXICO CITY, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent press coverage, tourism data and international studies demonstrate that the tourism marketing efforts of Mexico City continue to drive consumer interest as a top destination to visit, generate positive stories touting Mexico City as a World Capital, increase tourism arrivals and heighten awareness for the CDMX brand – named one of the top 20 "City Business Brands" in the world according to a study from Saffron.

A World City Brand Challenger
In the recently published World City Business Brand Barometer – a study by international consultancy firm Saffron that reveals which cities around the world best generates a strong a business brand – Mexico City was named an emerging global "challenger" amongst leading cities from the likes of New York, Paris, Los Angeles and London in attracting and retaining business. Mexico City ranked at number 19 out of 67 global cities, and according to Saffron, "could be taking a top 10 position in the near future." Mexico City closely followed other highly attractive global cities such as Madrid (14), Rome (15), Shanghai (16), Lisbon (17) and Munich (18).

The study attributes shifts in a city's ranking to the lifting of trade barriers, economic reform and digital communications. The study examines the relationship between a city's assets and the buzz it generates. Assets include key areas of interest to tourists, along with business professionals, including quality of cuisine and restaurants; number of sightseeing and historical attractions; as well as ease to get around on foot and public transport. Buzz calculates the general visibility of a city and whether it is held in high regard. Google Trends web analytics was a key tool in evaluating "buzz" at it looks at how many times a city is searched for on Google, indicating how much interest people have in the city. The study supports the idea that the CDMX brand, including its assets and buzz, are elevating Mexico City as a World Capital.

2019 Places to Visit Accolades
Over the past several years, Mexico City has been consistently recommended as a top destination to visit from leading media publications, and it continues to gain accreditation for its rich culture, celebrated culinary scene, abundance of museums and cultural institutions, architecture, design and more.

In 2019, Mexico City remains on top. The destination was selected as a Fodor's Go List 2019 award winner, chosen by the publication's editors based on "destinations we are absolutely in love with – destinations we want our readers to fall in love with, too." Mexico City was also named the #5 city on Lonely Planet's Best in Travel awards, recognized for its exciting blend of the historic and modern.

Telling Mexico City's Story
Mexico City's recognition in the media, and subsequently amongst travelers, was due in large part to its memorable brand campaign which included strategic media relations and a robust visiting journalist program that has generated a steady drumbeat of coverage over the past several years (more than 3 billion impressions since 2015). These stories have asserted Mexico City key messages, pillars and major events that elevate the destination as a World Capital.

In 2016, shortly after the CDMX brand campaign was released, Mexico City earned the top spot in The New York Times' prestigious 52 Places to Go annual travel list. From there, the buzz has only continued to grow for Mexico City. It's been named: One of CNN's Top Tourist Destinations; One of Conde Nast Traveler's World's Best Cities for Arts and Culture; One of Architectural Digest's Top Five Design Travel Destinations; One of 10 Best Cities for Solo Travel, According to AirBNB.

Stories highlighting the city's superior travel offerings have run in virtually every leading publication in the U.S. and Canada across a variety of genres: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Bloomberg Pursuits, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, AFAR, Thrillist, Town & Country, The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Chatelaine, NUVO, Azure, Sharpe, DeltaSky, United's Hemispheres, Eater, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Tasting Table, Surface, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Dwell, Brit + Co, Shape, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, GQ and many more.

Tourism Growth
Mexico City was awarded a coveted Platinum and "Best in Show" award for best Consumer Marketing Program in the hospitality marketing industry's prestigious annual Adrian Awards in 2018, recognized for robust tourism promotion that helped change perceptions of Mexico City in the press and amongst consumers, and drove purchase, contributing to an 11% increase in tourism by 2018 (57% higher than the increase of international tourism worldwide in 2017, which was up 7%).  Additionally, hotel occupancy reached 70% in 2017 and the number of international visitors staying in luxury properties has grown. The very real impact of promotion, branding and growth in tourism is seen in 25% higher average visitor spending, and in 348,879 new jobs in restaurants and hotels in 2017 (and 1,001,487 from 2015-17), and 872,197 indirect hospitality jobs. The economic spill of international tourists has increased nearly 13% since 2014.

Tourism Appeal
Mexico City is the country's premier tourism destination. The ancient capital combines pre-Hispanic, colonial and contemporary influences spanning nearly seven centuries, and is home to 30 distinct architectural and historic sites. The city is more cosmopolitan than ever, it sits among the top three cities for museums in the world, boasting more than 180 as well as over 100 contemporary art galleries, some of the world's most celebrated fine dining establishments, a range of design-forward accommodations and several international festivals and events that attract sophisticated jetsetters from around the world. Mexico City is a leading global city, often compared to the likes of Paris, London or New York. It has the second largest metro system in North America, behind New York City, has ten times as many taxis and its metropolitan park, Bosque de Chapultepec at 1,695 acres is nearly twice the size of Central Park. CDMX letters denoting the city's brand campaign are visible across the city, from street corners to taxis and at city landmarks and have become both a familiar, welcoming sight as well as a popular photo backdrop for visitors and locals alike.

About Mexico City
Consistently ranked among the top places to visit, Mexico City is a world capital welcoming more than 13.5 million visitors each year who come for its renowned cuisine, vibrant culture, rich history, unique neighborhoods and modern day travel offerings. In 2018, Mexico City celebrates its designation as World Design Capital®, an honor awarded by the World Design Organization™ for its commitment to design as an effective tool for economic, social and cultural development. The first city in the Americas to hold the title, Mexico City's recognition is driven by a creative class of designers, architects, hoteliers and restaurateurs spearheading  new era for the ancient capital whose pre-Hispanic, colonial and contemporary influences span nearly seven centuries. For more information, news and updates on travel to Mexico City follow @MexicoCityLive on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contact: mzackowski@webershandwick.com

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